Dave Davies - Biography - IMDb Dave Davies Biography Showing all 21 items Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (3) | Trivia (10) | Personal Quotes (3) Overview (3) 5' 10½" (1.79 m) Mini Bio (1) Dave Davies is the brother of Ray Davies, the lead singer and songwriter of the Kinks, of which he was the leader singer up to 1964, when Ray joined. Dave was the lead guitarist and backup singer for the Kinks. He created the distorted riff for "You Really Got Me" by taking a sharp object (either a razor or a knitting needle) and slashing the speaker cone of his Elpico amp, and driving it into a VOX AC30. He continued to use this sound for much of their early material (notably on "All Day and All of the Night" and "Till the End of the Day"). Compared to his brother, Dave lived a rather lavish lifestyle. He would spend a lot of money on fancy outfits on Carnaby Streets, and top of the line guitars, such as his Gibson Flying V.

It is clear that Ray wrote songs like "Dedicated Follower of Fashion", "Dandy", and maybe even "Starstruck" with him in mind. He had his share of feuds with Ray, and other band members often found it hard to get along with him, particularly the drummer, Mick Avory. Nevertheless, he was a brilliant musician, and a decent songwriter. He had a solo single with "Death of a Clown" in 1967, and contributed other songs such as "Strangers", "Rats", "Living on a Thin Line", "Wait Til the Summer Comes Along", "Mindless Child of Motherhood", and "This Man He Weeps Tonight". The latter few were influenced by a high school relationship which ended in an unwanted pregnancy, something that deeply haunted Davies. Today he continues to tour on his own. Unfortunately, he is not on good terms with his brother, Ray, and both have dismissed the possibility of a Kinks reunion. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Eli Rosen Spouse (1) Goofy mannerisms and fancy clothes such as tophat in music videos 1958 Gibson Flying V Younger brother of Ray Davies .

Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of The Kinks ) in 1990. He had a daughter, Tracy, at the age of 15. He married Lisbet in 1967 and they had 4 sons; Martin, Simon, Christian and Russell. He has three children, Daniel Davies , Lana Davies and Eddie, from his relationship with Nancy. Both Daniel and Lana are musicians. Lana has released her music through the Internet. Daniel is lead guitarist in "Year Long Disaster". The band's name stems from the events of 2004 affecting Ray and Dave Davies. In 2004, the same year his estranged brother Ray Davies was shot in the leg by a thief, he suffered a stroke while in an elevator. His recovery has gone well, but has not yet returned to the stage as of winter 2008. In their original stage, The Kinks (or as they were then known, The Ravens) were originally gathered and led by a 15-year-old Dave, who also wrote the few original songs that they performed at the time. His older brother Ray Davies joined the group merely as a rhythm guitarist and backing singer.

It was only when they changed to The Kinks that Ray took over as front-man and the main songwriter. A revolving door of bassists and, eventually, keyboard-players and drummers went through The Kinks as the two Davies brothers gained infamy among musicians for Dave's allegedly abusive, irresponsible behavior and Ray's controlling, superior attitude. Although a great majority of the better-known Kinks songs were Ray Davies compositions, Dave wrote and sang lead on several Kinks classics as well, including "Death of a Clown", "Susannah's Still Alive", and "Rats". Finishing work on a film, Dave Davies Kronikles: Mystical Journey, said to be released before Christmas 2008. [November 2008] Personal Quotes (3) "It wasn't called 'heavy metal' when I invented it." - when asked in the 80s if The Kinks were trying to play "heavy metal". I've always thought there was a conspiracy at work to prevent The Kinks being the top band in the world. Whenever we were doing well, something shit would happen and we'd fall flat on our asses. It's been like that throughout our career.

I suppose it's an inborn thing that I don't like to be made to do anything. See also The Kinks | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Although they weren't as boldly innovative as the Beatles or as popular as the Rolling Stones or the Who , the Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion. Like most bands of their era, the Kinks began as an R&B/blues outfit. Within four years, the band had become the most staunchly English of all their contemporaries, drawing heavily from British music hall and traditional pop, as well as incorporating elements of country, folk, and blues. Throughout their long, varied career, the core of the Kinks remained Ray (born June 21, 1944) and Dave Davies (born February 3, 1947), who were born and raised in Muswell Hill, London. In their teens, the brothers began playing skiffle and rock & roll. Soon, the brothers recruited a schoolmate of Ray 's, Peter Quaife , to play with them; like the Davies brothers, Quaife played guitar, but he switched to bass.

By the summer of 1963, the group had decided to call itself the Ravens and had recruited a new drummer, Mickey Willet . Eventually, their demo tape reached Shel Talmy , an American record producer who was under contract to Pye Records. Talmy helped the band land a contract with Pye in 1964. Before signing to the label, the Ravens replaced drummer Willet with Mick Avory . The Ravens recorded their debut single, a cover of Little Richard 's "Long Tall Sally," in January 1964. Before the single was released, the group changed their name to the Kinks . "Long Tall Sally" was released in February of 1964 and it failed to chart, as did their second single, "You Still Want Me." The band's third single, "You Really Got Me," was much noisier and dynamic, featuring a savage, fuzz-toned two-chord riff and a frenzied solo from Dave Davies . Not only was the final version the blueprint for the Kinks ' early sound, but scores of groups used the heavy, power chords as a foundation.

"You Really Got Me" reached number one within a month of its release; released on Reprise in the U.S., the single climbed into the Top Ten. "All Day and All of the Night," the group's fourth single, was released late in 1964 and it rose all the way to number two; in America, it hit number seven. During this time, the band also produced two full-length albums and several EPs. Not only was the group recording at a breakneck pace, they were touring relentlessly, as well, which caused much tension within the band. At the conclusion of their summer 1965 American tour, the Kinks were banned from re-entering the United States by the American government for unspecified reasons. For four years, the Kinks were prohibited from returning to the U.S., which not only meant that the group was deprived of the world's largest music market, but that they were effectively cut off from the musical and social upheavals of the late '60s. Consequently, Ray Davies ' songwriting grew more introspective and nostalgic, relying more on overtly English musical influences such as music hall, country, and English folk, than the rest of his British contemporaries.

The Kinks' next album, The Kink Kontroversy , demonstrated the progression in Davies ' songwriting. "Sunny Afternoon" was one of Davies ' wry social satires and the song was the biggest hit of the summer of 1966 in the U.K., reaching number one. "Sunny Afternoon" was a teaser for the band's great leap forward, Face to Face , a record that featured a vast array of musical styles. In May of 1967, they returned with "Waterloo Sunset," a ballad that reached number two in the U.K. in the spring of 1967. Released in the fall of 1967, Something Else by the Kinks continued the progressions of Face to Face . Despite the Kinks ' musical growth, their chart performance was beginning to stagnate. Following the lackluster performance of Something Else , the Kinks rushed out a new single, "Autumn Almanac," which became another big U.K. hit for the band.

Released in the spring of 1968, the Kinks' "Wonderboy" was the band's first single not to crack the Top Ten since "You Really Got Me." They recovered somewhat with "Days," but the band's commercial decline was evident by the lack of success of their next LP. Released in the fall of 1968, The Village Green Preservation Society was the culmination of Ray Davies ' increasingly nostalgic tendencies. While the album was unsuccessful, it was well received by critics, particularly in the U.S. Peter Quaife soon grew tired of the band's lack of success, and he left the band by the end of the year, being replaced by John Dalton . In early 1969, the American ban upon the Kinks was lifted, leaving the band free to tour the U.S. for the first time in four years. Before they began the tour, the Kinks released Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) . Like its two predecessors, Arthur contained distinctly British lyrical and musical themes, but it was a modest success. As they were recording the follow-up to Arthur , the Kinks expanded their lineup to include keyboardist John Gosling .

The first appearance of Gosling on a Kinks record was "Lola." Featuring a harder rock foundation than their last few singles, "Lola" was a Top Ten hit in both the U.K. and the U.S. Released in the fall of 1970, Lola vs. the Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One was their most successful record since the mid-'60s in both the U.S. and U.K., helping the band become concert favorites in the U.S. The band's contract with Pye/Reprise expired in early 1971, leaving the Kinks free to pursue a new record contract. By the end of 1971, the Kinks had secured a five-album deal with RCA Records, which brought them a million dollar advance. Released in late 1971, Muswell Hillbillies , the group's first album for RCA, marked a return to the nostalgia of the Kinks ' late-'60s albums, only with more pronounced country and music hall influences. The album failed to be the commercial blockbuster RCA had hoped for.

A few months after the release of Muswell Hillbillies , Reprise released a double-album compilation called The Kink Kronikles , which outsold their RCA debut. Everybody's in Showbiz (1973), a double-record set consisting of one album of studio tracks and another of live material, was a disappointment in the U.K., although the album was more successful in the U.S. In 1973, Ray Davies composed a full-blown rock opera called Preservation . When the first installment of the opera finally appeared in late 1973, it was harshly criticized and given a cold reception from the public. Act 2 appeared in the summer of 1974; the sequel received worse treatment than its predecessor. Davies began another musical, Starmaker, for the BBC; the project eventually metamorphosed into Soap Opera , which was released in the spring of 1975. Despite poor reviews, Soap Opera was a more commercially successful record than its predecessor. In 1976, the Kinks recorded Davies ' third straight rock opera, Schoolboys in Disgrace , which rocked harder than any album they released on RCA.

During 1976, the Kinks left RCA and signed with Arista Records. On Arista, the band refashioned themselves as a hard rock band. Bassist John Dalton left the group near the completion of their debut Arista album; he was replaced by Andy Pyle . Sleepwalker , the Kinks ' first album for Arista, became a major hit in the U.S. As the band was completing the follow-up to Sleepwalker , Pyle left the group and was replaced by the returning Dalton . Misfits , the band's second Arista album, was also a U.S. success. After a British tour, Dalton left the band again, along with keyboardist John Gosling ; bassist Jim Rodford and keyboardist Gordon Edwards filled the vacancies. Soon, the band was playing arenas in the United States. Even though punk rockers like the Jam and the Pretenders were covering Kinks songs in the late '70s, the group was becoming more blatantly commercial with each release, culminating in the heavy rock of Low Budget (1979), which became the group's biggest American success, peaking at number 11.

The Kinks' next album, Give the People What They Want , appeared in late 1981; the record peaked at number 15 and went gold. For most of 1982, the band was on tour. In spring of 1983, "Come Dancing" became the group's biggest American hit since "Tired of Waiting for You," thanks to the video's repeated exposure on MTV; in the U.S., the song peaked at number six, in the U.K. it climbed to number 12. State of Confusion followed the release of "Come Dancing," and it was another success, peaking at number 12 in the U.S. For the remainder of 1983, Ray Davies worked on a film project, Return to Waterloo, which caused considerable tension between himself and his brother. Instead of breaking up, the Kinks merely reshuffled their lineup, but there was a major casualty: Mick Avory , the band's drummer for 20 years, was fired and replaced by Bob Henrit . As Ray finished post-production duties on Return to Waterloo, he wrote the next Kinks album, Word of Mouth .

Released in late 1984, the album was similar in tone to the last few Kinks records, but it was a commercial disappointment and began a period of decline for the band; they never released another record that cracked the Top 40. Word of Mouth was the last album they would record for Arista Records. In early 1986, the band signed with MCA Records in the U.S., London in the U.K. Think Visual , their first album for their new label, was released in late 1986. It was a mild success but there were no hit singles from the record. The following year, the Kinks released another live album, appropriately titled The Road , which spent a brief time on the charts. Two years later, the Kinks released their last studio record for MCA, UK Jive . During 1989, keyboardist Ian Gibbons left the band. The Kinks were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, but the induction did not help revive their career.

In 1991, a compilation of their MCA records, Lost & Found (1986-1989) , appeared, signalling that their contract with the label had expired. Later in the year, the band signed with Columbia Records and released an EP called Did Ya , which didn't chart. The Kinks' first album for Columbia, Phobia , arrived in 1993 to fair reviews but poor sales. By this time, only Ray and Dave Davies remained from the original lineup. In 1994, the band was dropped from Columbia Records, leaving the group to release the live To the Bone on an independent label in the U.K.; the band was left without a record label in the U.S. Despite a lack of commercial success, the band's public profile began to rise in 1995, as the group was hailed as an influence on several of the most popular British bands of the decade, including Blur and Oasis . Ray Davies was soon on popular television shows again, acting as these band's godfather and promoting his autobiography, X-Ray, which was published in early 1995 in the U.K.

Dave Davies ' autobiography, Kink, was published in the spring of 1996. The Kinks - Biography | Billboard The Kinks 1963 Members: Dave Davies Ray Davies Mick Avory John Dalton Ian Gibbons John Gosling Andy Pyle Peter Quaife Jim Rodford Bob Henrit Although they weren't as boldly innovative as the Beatles or as popular as the Rolling Stones or the Who, the Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion. Like most bands of their era, the Kinks began as an R&B/blues outfit. Within four years, the band had become the most staunchly English of all their contemporaries, drawing heavily from British music hall and traditional pop, as well as incorporating elements of country, folk, and blues. Throughout their long, varied career, the core of the Kinks remained Ray (born June 21, 1944) and Dave Davies (born February 3, 1947), who were born and raised in Muswell Hill, London. In their teens, the brothers began playing skiffle and rock & roll.

Soon, the brothers recruited a schoolmate of Ray's, Peter Quaife, to play with them; like the Davies brothers, Quaife played guitar, but he switched to bass. By the summer of 1963, the group had decided to call itself the Ravens and had recruited a new drummer, Mickey Willet. Eventually, their demo tape reached Shel Talmy, an American record producer who was under contract to Pye Records. Talmy helped the band land a contract with Pye in 1964. Before signing to the label, the Ravens replaced drummer Willet with Mick Avory. The Ravens recorded their debut single, a cover of Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally," in January 1964. Before the single was released, the group changed their name to the Kinks. "Long Tall Sally" was released in February of 1964 and it failed to chart, as did their second single, "You Still Want Me." The band's third single, "You Really Got Me," was much noisier and dynamic, featuring a savage, fuzz-toned two-chord riff and a frenzied solo from Dave Davies.

Not only was the final version the blueprint for the Kinks' early sound, but scores of groups used the heavy, power chords as a foundation. "You Really Got Me" reached number one within a month of its release; released on Reprise in the U.S., the single climbed into the Top Ten. "All Day and All of the Night," the group's fourth single, was released late in 1964 and it rose all the way to number two; in America, it hit number seven. During this time, the band also produced two full-length albums and several EPs. Not only was the group recording at a breakneck pace, they were touring relentlessly, as well, which caused much tension within the band. At the conclusion of their summer 1965 American tour, the Kinks were banned from re-entering the United States by the American government for unspecified reasons. For four years, the Kinks were prohibited from returning to the U.S., which not only meant that the group was deprived of the world's largest music market, but that they were effectively cut off from the musical and social upheavals of the late '60s.

Consequently, Ray Davies' songwriting grew more introspective and nostalgic, relying more on overtly English musical influences such as music hall, country, and English folk, than the rest of his British contemporaries. The Kinks' next album, The Kink Kontroversy, demonstrated the progression in Davies' songwriting. "Sunny Afternoon" was one of Davies' wry social satires and the song was the biggest hit of the summer of 1966 in the U.K., reaching number one. "Sunny Afternoon" was a teaser for the band's great leap forward, Face to Face, a record that featured a vast array of musical styles. In May of 1967, they returned with "Waterloo Sunset," a ballad that reached number two in the U.K. in the spring of 1967. Released in the fall of 1967, Something Else by the Kinks continued the progressions of Face to Face. Despite the Kinks' musical growth, their chart performance was beginning to stagnate. Following the lackluster performance of Something Else, the Kinks rushed out a new single, "Autumn Almanac," which became another big U.K.

hit for the band. Released in the spring of 1968, the Kinks' "Wonderboy" was the band's first single not to crack the Top Ten since "You Really Got Me." They recovered somewhat with "Days," but the band's commercial decline was evident by the lack of success of their next LP. Released in the fall of 1968, The Village Green Preservation Society was the culmination of Ray Davies' increasingly nostalgic tendencies. While the album was unsuccessful, it was well received by critics, particularly in the U.S. Peter Quaife soon grew tired of the band's lack of success, and he left the band by the end of the year, being replaced by John Dalton. In early 1969, the American ban upon the Kinks was lifted, leaving the band free to tour the U.S. for the first time in four years. Before they began the tour, the Kinks released Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). Like its two predecessors, Arthur contained distinctly British lyrical and musical themes, but it was a modest success. As they were recording the follow-up to Arthur, the Kinks expanded their lineup to include keyboardist John Gosling.

The first appearance of Gosling on a Kinks record was "Lola." Featuring a harder rock foundation than their last few singles, "Lola" was a Top Ten hit in both the U.K. and the U.S. Released in the fall of 1970, Lola vs. the Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One was their most successful record since the mid-'60s in both the U.S. and U.K., helping the band become concert favorites in the U.S. The band's contract with Pye/Reprise expired in early 1971, leaving the Kinks free to pursue a new record contract. By the end of 1971, the Kinks had secured a five-album deal with RCA Records, which brought them a million dollar advance. Released in late 1971, Muswell Hillbillies, the group's first album for RCA, marked a return to the nostalgia of the Kinks' late-'60s albums, only with more pronounced country and music hall influences. The album failed to be the commercial blockbuster RCA had hoped for.

A few months after the release of Muswell Hillbillies, Reprise released a double-album compilation called The Kink Kronikles, which outsold their RCA debut. Everybody's in Showbiz (1973), a double-record set consisting of one album of studio tracks and another of live material, was a disappointment in the U.K., although the album was more successful in the U.S. In 1973, Ray Davies composed a full-blown rock opera called Preservation. When the first installment of the opera finally appeared in late 1973, it was harshly criticized and given a cold reception from the public. Act 2 appeared in the summer of 1974; the sequel received worse treatment than its predecessor. Davies began another musical, Starmaker, for the BBC; the project eventually metamorphosed into Soap Opera, which was released in the spring of 1975. Despite poor reviews, Soap Opera was a more commercially successful record than its predecessor. In 1976, the Kinks recorded Davies' third straight rock opera, Schoolboys in Disgrace, which rocked harder than any album they released on RCA.

During 1976, the Kinks left RCA and signed with Arista Records. On Arista, the band refashioned themselves as a hard rock band. Bassist John Dalton left the group near the completion of their debut Arista album; he was replaced by Andy Pyle. Sleepwalker, the Kinks' first album for Arista, became a major hit in the U.S. As the band was completing the follow-up to Sleepwalker, Pyle left the group and was replaced by the returning Dalton. Misfits, the band's second Arista album, was also a U.S. success. After a British tour, Dalton left the band again, along with keyboardist John Gosling; bassist Jim Rodford and keyboardist Gordon Edwards filled the vacancies. Soon, the band was playing arenas in the United States. Even though punk rockers like the Jam and the Pretenders were covering Kinks songs in the late '70s, the group was becoming more blatantly commercial with each release, culminating in the heavy rock of Low Budget (1979), which became the group's biggest American success, peaking at number 11.

The Kinks' next album, Give the People What They Want, appeared in late 1981; the record peaked at number 15 and went gold. For most of 1982, the band was on tour. In spring of 1983, "Come Dancing" became the group's biggest American hit since "Tired of Waiting for You," thanks to the video's repeated exposure on MTV; in the U.S., the song peaked at number six, in the U.K. it climbed to number 12. State of Confusion followed the release of "Come Dancing," and it was another success, peaking at number 12 in the U.S. For the remainder of 1983, Ray Davies worked on a film project, Return to Waterloo, which caused considerable tension between himself and his brother. Instead of breaking up, the Kinks merely reshuffled their lineup, but there was a major casualty: Mick Avory, the band's drummer for 20 years, was fired and replaced by Bob Henrit. As Ray finished post-production duties on Return to Waterloo, he wrote the next Kinks album, Word of Mouth.

Released in late 1984, the album was similar in tone to the last few Kinks records, but it was a commercial disappointment and began a period of decline for the band; they never released another record that cracked the Top 40. Word of Mouth was the last album they would record for Arista Records. In early 1986, the band signed with MCA Records in the U.S., London in the U.K. Think Visual, their first album for their new label, was released in late 1986. It was a mild success but there were no hit singles from the record. The following year, the Kinks released another live album, appropriately titled The Road, which spent a brief time on the charts. Two years later, the Kinks released their last studio record for MCA, UK Jive. During 1989, keyboardist Ian Gibbons left the band. The Kinks were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, but the induction did not help revive their career.

In 1991, a compilation of their MCA records, Lost & Found (1986-1989), appeared, signalling that their contract with the label had expired. Later in the year, the band signed with Columbia Records and released an EP called Did Ya, which didn't chart. The Kinks' first album for Columbia, Phobia, arrived in 1993 to fair reviews but poor sales. By this time, only Ray and Dave Davies remained from the original lineup. In 1994, the band was dropped from Columbia Records, leaving the group to release the live To the Bone on an independent label in the U.K.; the band was left without a record label in the U.S. Despite a lack of commercial success, the band's public profile began to rise in 1995, as the group was hailed as an influence on several of the most popular British bands of the decade, including Blur and Oasis. Ray Davies was soon on popular television shows again, acting as these band's godfather and promoting his autobiography, X-Ray, which was published in early 1995 in the U.K.

Dave Davies' autobiography, Kink, was published in the spring of 1996. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Related Artists The Band | The Kinks Official Website STORE The Band The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential British groups of all time, with millions of record sales and countless awards and accolades to their name. From their explosive beginnings as part of the British Beat movement to forays into concept albums, stadium rock and acoustic balladeering, The Kinks have left an unimpeachable legacy of classic songs, many of which form the building blocks of popular music as we know it today. Hailing from Muswell Hill in north London, The Kinks were formed by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. Calling themselves The Ravens, an early line-up saw them playing a combination of R&B and rock and roll with friend Peter Quaife on bass. A self-produced demo tape reached record producer Shel Talmy who helped the band land a contract with Pye Records in 1964. Before signing, the group replaced their drummer with Mick Avory and renamed themselves The Kinks.

With the classic line-up in place, music history was about to be written when the group’s third, You Really Got Me, stormed to the top of the UK charts. Written by Ray in their parents’ front room, the song has since been cited as the inspiration for garage rock, punk, heavy metal and on contempories The Who. An album, The Kinks, was hastily assembled in the aftermath of the monster hit and was, in turn, swiftly followed by a second Top 10 single, All Day and All Of the Night. Between 1965-1967, The Kinks enjoyed their first commercial peak, scoring nine British and seven US chart hits. 1965′s Tired Of Waiting For You displayed Ray’s world-weary vocal style while Dave came up with a then innovatory Indian style drone guitar on See My Friends. As Ray’s songwriting developed, he emerged as a witty, compassionate social commentator, chronicling the absurdities and aspirations of English life. He took stabs at fashion victims with Dedicated Follower Of Fashion and his fellow nouveau rich pop star peers on Sunny Afternoon. He even created a hymn to the Thames on the peerless Waterloo Sunset.

Despite the Kinks’ commercial success at home, an unresolved dispute with the American Federation of Musicians during a 1965 tour, led to a ban on US appearances which lasted until 1969. So, with most UK bands looking to America’s burgeoning flower power revolution for inspiration, Ray looked no further than his back garden for his own concept album, 1968′s Village Green Preservation Society. On the album Ray developed the major themes of his work, a lament for the traditions of a near-mythical England lost among modernity. The album was overlooked by the British record-buying public and one of the Kinks’ most artistically successful albums slipped away. Fortunately, subsequent years have seen it grow in stature and it’s now recognised as one of the most important British albums ever released. The loftily named follow up, Arthur – The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, addressed similar themes, portraying an English family looking back over their experiences before emigrating to Australia featuring the oft-covered Victoria. The mood lightened a little with the monster 1970 hit single Lola.

1971′s Muswell Hillbillies album echoed Village Green’s collection of storybook vignettes and the single Supersonic Rocketship from Everybody’s In Showbiz went Top 20 in 1972 while Celluloid Heroes from the same album became a live favourite . The remainder of the ’70s found our heroes tackling a dazzling array of real-life themes and situations with the bands four concept albums, Preservation Act 1, Preservation Act 2, Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace. While the UK hits dried up, their sizeable following in the US brought them commercial rewards and, in 1977, a Top 30 album in the form of Sleepwalker. Two years later the band released the hard rock Low Budget album and became belated rock stars in America, gaining a sizeable chunk of the stadium rock circuit, selling out Madison Square Gardens. The Americans also lapped up early 80′s albums Give The People What they Want and State Of Confusion which featured the hit singles Better Things and Destroyer. The Kinks even found themselves back in the UK charts with 1983ís, Come Dancing.

For many years The Kinks had been receiving reverential nods from the rock fraternity, all of which increased their cachet with wave after wave of new bands and musicians. In 1978 The Jam had covered David Watts while The Pretenders had their first UK hit with a version of Stop Your Sobbing. Biggest of all was Kirsty McColl’s breathtaking take on Days. Through the 90s, The Kinks garnered a whole new generation of fans as yet another wave of British musicians paid tribute to the band. Blur’s Damon Albarn in particular acknowledged Davies as a key influence as did Noel and Liam from Oasis. With The Kinks on hiatus since 1996 Ray and Dave Davies continued to record and tour their own acclaimed solo albums. Despite intermittent rumours to the contrary throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, ill-health scuppered plans for a reunion of the original line-up. Sadly, Peter Quaife, who had been receiving kidney dialysis for more than ten years, died on 23rd June 2010.

Ray Davies dedicated his June 27th performance at the Glastonbury festival to his honour, telling the crowd, “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him” 8 Best Dave Davies Moments with The Kinks « Radio.com Dave Davies of the Kinks; Ray Davies, sunglasses, in the background; Pete Quaife on the phone (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) By Brian Ives Earlier this week , for a brief moment, Kinks fans had their hopes raised for a reunion… sort of. British music magazine MOJO quoted head Kink Ray Davies as saying that a reunion is in the works, and that it would happen either with or without his brother and bandmate Dave Davies. “Dave’s invited to the party, but if he doesn’t want to do it, [the reunion] will happen anyway. He’s very welcome to turn up if he wants. I’d much rather work with him than without him.” When asked if the Kinks would still be the Kinks without Dave, Ray is quoted as saying, “Yes, it would. I think it’s all down to the music. If somebody can’t or won’t play, there are other players out there.

Mick and I want to do it,” referring to founding drummer Mick Avory. (The Kinks soon responded via their Facebook page, saying, “MOJO is wrong. There will be NO Kinks reunion without BOTH Ray and Dave Davies. Ray Davies claims to have never said this.”) But would it have been the Kinks without Dave? Ray Davies already does solo tours with a hired backing band; without Dave, it would be Ray and his band with founding Kinks drummer Mick Avory (the band’s original bassist, Pete Quaife, died in 2010; although they could conceivably invite former Kinks bassets John Dalton or Jim Rodford to rejoin). Still, it would be like Mick Jagger fronting the Rolling Stones without Keith Richards, or Robert Plant leading Led Zeppelin sans Jimmy Page. Some bands can endure lineup changes (and the Kinks endured many), but there are some members who are irreplaceable. And in the Kinks, that’s the Davies brothers — both of them. Here, then, is a list of great Kinks moments that wouldn’t have been the same without Dave.

~ “Beautiful Delilah” The first track on the first album by the Kinks — 1964’s Kinks — is a Chuck Berry cover sung by Dave. It was also in the Rolling Stones ‘ repertoire at that time, and if Dave doesn’t quite have Mick Jagger’s swagger, he more than makes up for it in raw enthusiasm. Singing and playing a Chuck Berry tune on a record (and in the above clip, on television) was the dream of most British and American kids his age in 1964. “Got My Feet on the Ground” “I wanna lot out of life, but I know my limitations!” That was the opening line on this track from 1965’s Kinka Kinks , and it would prove prescient for Dave. Throughout the Kinks’ career, he released solo music from time to time, but could never get out of the shadow of the band. And, of course, the band’s leader. These days, he frequently tours as a solo act, but doesn’t play this song, which is a pity, because it’s great. And singing the refrain, “I don’t need no one!” over and over would probably be cathartic, five decades on.

Or perhaps Dave has come to realize that maybe he and Ray are much more powerful together than apart, so maybe the line doesn’t ring true to him anymore. “Party Line” The leadoff track on the Kinks’ 1966 album Face To Face ; it was sung by Dave, but there’s some controversy as to who actually wrote it. Ray has the writing credit on the album, but in 1980 he told Creem magazine that he composed the music, and that Ray simply helped him with the lyrics: “On ‘Party Line’ I got really stuck for lyrics; I just didn’t know what to write. And Ray and I got together and busted out a few things on the piano and got a lot of ideas for it. So he helped me with the lyrics on that.” (Read the full interview here .) But hey, the tension between the brothers is part of what makes up the Kinks. “Death of a Clown” Probably Dave’s most celebrated Kinks song, but in fact, it was originally released as his debut solo single in 1967. Co-written by Ray, who helped with the music.

In the aforementioned Creem interview, Dave said, “Ray helped more on the music side of ‘Death of a Clown.’ We co-produced it and he changed a few of the parts around, like the instrumentalpassage … the high ‘la-la-la’ bit.” The song hit #3 on the singles charts in the UK, and led to more solo singles from Dave, although none of them were nearly as successful. “Death of a Clown” was later included on Something Else By the Kinks in 1967 and quickly became part of their repertoire. “Wicked Annabella” Dave’s sole lead vocal on the classic 1968 The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society , Most of the album, which was at one point conceived as a Ray Davies solo release, has a laid back feel, sort of like the British version of the Band (or maybe that’s vice-versa). But “Wicked Annabella” gives the album some bite: darker and more psychedelic than the pastoral “The Village Green Preservation Society,” “Picture Book” and “Big Sky”; it was almost as if Eric Clapton dropped a Cream jam into the middle of Derek and the Dominoes’ Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

“Living on a Thin Line” The Sopranos boasted a sizable music clearance budget, and it used that budget wisely. And luckily for the production team, one of the actors – Steven Van Zandt – is something of an expert on ’60s garage rock legends (ditto creator David Chase). The music of the Kinks appeared on the show twice: “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” and also “Living on a Thin Line.” The latter song, from 1984’s Word of Mouth, was written and sung by Dave. In his autobiography, Kink, he said that the song was based on the band’s long and contentious career, as well as his dislike of politicians. “Hatred (A Duet)” It’s kind of sweet, in a way. It’s actually a Ray/Dave duet about, well, how much they hate each other. “Hatred! Hatred! It’s the only thing that keeps us together!” they sing, in unison. Here’s hoping it brings them back together, and soon. “You Really Got Me” We can’t forget this one.

Yeah, Ray wrote and sang this one, the song that launched the band’s career, and became one of the most iconic riffs – if not the most iconic – in rock and roll. And that riff was played by Dave. A Kinks concert just wouldn’t be a Kinks concert with anyone else playing it. And maybe Dave’s coming around after all; following the MOJO fracas, he posted a Facebook update saying, “I would love to do some form of a Kinks reunion with Ray.” Ray Davies - Biography - IMDb Ray Davies Biography Showing all 53 items Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (3) | Trade Mark (5) | Trivia (29) | Personal Quotes (12) Overview (3) 6' (1.83 m) Mini Bio (1) Ray Davies was born on June 21, 1944 in Fortis Green, which is located in Muswell Hill, north of London, England. He was the seventh of eighth children, and with his younger brother Dave, he was one of the only two boys in his family.

In 1963, he joined Dave's band The Ravens on rhythm guitar and vocals. He later rose to the position of chief songwriter and singer. Between 1964 and 1965, The Kinks released other hits such as "All Day and All of the Night", "Til the End of the Day", "Tired of Waiting for You", and others. Unfortunately, like most brothers, Ray and Dave Davies often were prone to sibling rivalry, and could act violent towards each other and the rest of the band. This behavior may have contributed to the American Musicians Union issuing a four-year touring ban against them. Since this would prevent them from enjoying the prosperity of the British Invasion that their contemporaries enjoyed, Ray decided to seek a new direction in songwriting. His songs would reflect on his childhood and the days of the British empire, when the class system was going strong, and poverty was great.

This style was evident on The Kinks' next four albums, Face To Face (1966), Something Else by The Kinks (1967), The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968), and Arthur, or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire (1969). In 1970, they released perhaps their most famous LP, Lola Vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part 1. This record spawned their trademark "Lola", along with other great songs such as "Apeman", "Get Back in Line", "Powerman", and others. Muswell Hillbillies followed the next year, which was perhaps their last commercially successful album. From the 1970s in the early 1990s, the Kinks' career proved to be a roller coaster of commercial success, and failure. Perhaps part of the reason for this was the bitter rivalry between Dave and Ray Davies which could never be fully resolved. The band went through a revolving door of backing musicians, and in the mid-1990s, the Kinks split up. Today Ray Davies performs solo.

He has four solo albums to date and is also involved in theater and television. In early 2004, he gallantly chased after a thief who stole his girlfriend's purse, and was shot in the leg. A week before that, he was awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth for his services to music. He has since recovered and continues to perform. His influence has been significant. He has gained a considerable following in his own native Britain, and Pete Townshend from The Who has credited him as his favorite songwriter. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Eli Rosen Spouse (3) ( 12 November 1964 - 1973) (divorced) (2 children) Pat Crosby Trade Mark (5) His introspective songwriting method. Songs often deal with the changing values of his native England and the decline of the British Empire. Often wrote songs about the music business Distinctive English Accent Sizeable gap in between his front teeth. Trivia (29) Older brother of Dave Davies . Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of The Kinks ) in 1990.

Fathered a child, Natalie Rae Hynde, with Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders while still married to his second wife. His song "Apeman" was covered by former Marillion singer Fish on his album "Songs From the Mirror" (released 1993). Sadly, he has barely been on speaking terms with his brother and musical collaborator Dave since they recorded their last album as The Kinks in the early 1990s. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2003 Queen's New Year's Eve Honours List for his services to music. In 2003, when a mugger stole his girlfriend's purse, he valiantly chased the man but was then shot in the leg by the thief. He has another daughter with dancer, Pat Crosby. He is the uncle of writer/producer, Lawrence Kane , who helped Ray recover from his gunshot wound in New Orleans. Davies was in many ways unique among the frontmen in British rock bands from the 1960s.

He never got into drugs or affiliated himself with "hippie" culture (nor did his band), although The Kinks did present themselves as hard-drinking. Davies was also never a Lothario in the ranks with his contemporaries, and he married at a very young age. By all accounts a quiet, unapproachable type off stage, Davies had a series of nervous breakdowns as a young man, which led to him being hospitalized twice. Director Wes Anderson originally intended to have the whole of Rushmore (1998) set to songs by The Kinks . Anderson changed his mind when he wanted to use a series of songs by other bands from the "British Invasion", although he kept the Davies/Kinks song, "Nothin' In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl". His British rock contemporary Pete Townshend has said that Ray Davies is probably his favorite songwriter of all time. The Kinks ' single, "See My Friends", was the first British songs (and possibly Western) to integrate a Indian, sitar-like sound.

This song and, shortly thereafter, the similarly sitar-based "Fancy" preceded the first Beatles song with an Indian feel, "Norwegian Wood", by a year. One of the most admired British songwriters, his songs have been covered by hundreds of artists. Well known versions of his songs include The Jam 's "David Watts", The Pretenders ' "Stop Your Sobbing", The Stranglers ' "All Day and All of the Night", David Bowie 's "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" and Van Halen 's "You Really Got Me". When The Kinks opened a show on the same bill as The Beatles, The Beatles (in particularly John Lennon ) behaved rudely and dismissively towards them. However, when The Kinks released their more introspective album "Face to Face", Lennon was said to have listened to it obsessively. The original name of The Kinks was The Ravens. The Kinks were voted the 64th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone. With four to five band members at one time, there have been 11 members of The Kinks , with only Ray and his brother Dave Davies having belonged since the founding of the group.

They have gone through two drummers ( Mick Avory and Bob Henrit), three keyboardists (John Gosling, Gordon Edwards, and Ian Gibbins ), and four bass-guitarists ( Peter Quaife , John Dalton, Andy Pyle, and Jim Rodford ). In an early stage of The Kinks , before Davies was willing to be the lead singer, they recruited Rod Stewart (who grew up in the same area as the Davies brothers, Muswell Hill) as a singer. After a couple of weeks of trying to be a band, Stewart and the future Kinks found that they did not get along that well, with their musical tastes being too different, and parted ways. "Very Gothic, creepy and silent. Uptight and fearful of everyone." - Marianne Faithfull 's description of Davies and The Kinks . Winner of the 2006 Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. His song "Waterloo Sunset" won the 2005 Q Classic Song Award. The Kinks were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture. (16 November 2005).

He is a big fan of and considers himself in the tradition of William Blake . Despite its heavy guitar sound, he actually wrote "You Really Got Me" on his parent's piano. He was born in Muswell Hill, London, England. He and his brother Dave Davies have six older sisters. They lived on Denmark Terrace, Fortis Green, London, England. Crouch End, London, England [May 2009] He was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to the Arts. He is a musician in London, England. Personal Quotes (12) If I had to my life to do over, I would change every single thing I have done. We had a singing family. If we'd been in Appalachia, we would have been a Country & Western family. We had all that inbreeding, too - the Second World War was quite a time. When in doubt, trust your paranoia. The Kaiser Chiefs are funny, "Employment" was good, though I'm not quite sure whether they're supposed to be The Pretty Things or The Rolling Stones .

Keep you nose clean and your chin up, even if it requires surgery. Obviously the person who shot me, I think he was a career criminal, he knew what he was doing it was premeditated, he knew what he was doing. It made me really sort of think about the issue of gun control. I'm not a violent person. I'm an athletic person, I'm a competitive person. That kind of violence is abhorrent to me. I get passionate, I get angry but I wouldn't think of doing that to anybody. I went through a phase in the hospital, I nearly died at one point because of complications with my heart. But I actually felt sorry for him to have actually reached that point. He wasn't a desperate guy but he kind of looked scared. We had eyeball contact. It made me think, not so much about gun control but what actually drives humans to actually do that, to get in that spectrum. It's a bigger, bigger bigger spectrum than this. It leads to warfare, why people fight, why people have wars, all these horrors going on in the world, it just opened up all these questions that are still unanswered and I still haven't come to terms with it yet.

I was very lucky to escape. Every song has its own voodoo attached to it. I think the inspiration for a lot of those early songs, I didn't realize it so much until I finished the book and read the proofs back, was a big family influence on me. Obviously when you are starting out you don't really see that, it's only when you look back and you appraise things, I guess you see where the real inspiration came form. I think because it was the first time that music had been done on such a scale with lots of bands coming from, basically working class origins and making music and not being particularly pretty. You know the pretty boy image really wasn't the thing. The Hollies were great to us, they helped me a lot and very supportive and in a way I suppose The Beatles were as well. -on British rock music in the mid-1960s Well it's good. I think the similarity is that I think they're writing songs..... Music goes in phases and in England it goes around fairly quickly. The fashions come in and out and I think what they are doing is writing songs about things they know about, which is where they come from and the local stories.

I think that's where the similarities with the Kinks is because I think our early records were like that. For a long time, particularly in the 1980's, I think English bands were trying to sound like, writing about American experiences or drawing on things out of their own experience and knowledge and that tends to make the music sound different. I think lyrically Blur and Oasis, they're are very similar in that respect. I didn't want to write an ordinary autobiography because it just didn't interest me, recounting things that I remember that happened. I thought if I had this device of using a young journalist, who basically is me anyway, meeting myself when I'm seventy years old, that would be a nice way to get the young and the old approach. So the older guy is looking back and the young kid really is experiencing everything for the first time and rock music does that. Every time you go out and play stuff every show has got to feel as though it's the first time you're doing it. So that made it entertaining for me to write and also let me stand back and let me observe myself and look at myself more objectively, I think.

-on writing his unconventional autobiography I think Dave [brother Dave Davies ], as a guitarist, he doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's an erratic player but he gets inspired and he plays some great things. Dave invented that sound and it was really great, that's why the part of the book I like and the part I do on stage is recounting when we did that song, when we recorded that because it was a pivotal moment to our band. See also

Question: What were the christian names of the Davies brothers who were members of the Kinks
Answer: Ray and Dave